This invention relates to basketball goal support assemblies and, more particularly, to such support assemblies as are portable.
Various types of basketball goal support assemblies have been proposed in the past. Such proposals have recognized that stability, and in some instances portability, are desirable characteristics. However, stability and portability can present conflicting design considerations and make it difficult to provide collapsibility.
On playgrounds and at pool sides, for example, a portable goal support assembly is desirable. In such applications, the ability to clear the support assembly from the area, or to arrange a particular play area in a different configuration, is a much sought-after attribute. This is even true to some degree in residential applications. Providing both stability and portability in a particular construction can also come at the price of requiring overall a more complex structural arrangement and larger base, which means added complexity in both assembly and use as well as increased costs.
One attempt at achieving portability and stability within a single support assembly has been to incorporate some form of ballast in the support base in order to keep the base smaller. These and other prior ballast arrangements, however, have generally proved to be unacceptable due to the lack of sufficient stability in the final product, too much complexity, or both.